MARA Act of 2026

Job Creation and Economic Support: The bill aims to support aquaculture workforce development and working waterfronts by creating new jobs and supporting existing jobs and businesses within the seafood industry (Section 2. Purpose 3).

Increased Seafood Supply: The act intends to reduce the United States seafood trade deficit by expanding the domestic supply of seafood through sustainable offshore aquaculture (Section 2. Purpose 4).

Industry Support and Technical Assistance: The Office of Aquaculture is tasked with administering support for the industry and organizing programs to provide technical assistance to operators (Section 101(d) and Section 301).

Protection of Fishing Access: The bill seeks to support offshore aquaculture development in a way that minimizes conflicts with existing recreational and commercial fishing access and uses (Section 2. Purpose 5).

Priority for Impacted Workers: Priority consideration for demonstration project permits may be given to applicants who can demonstrate direct benefits to individuals in the agricultural, wild-caught fishery, or aquaculture industries who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or major disasters (Section 202(f)).

Risk of Environmental and Wildlife Damage: Demonstration projects must implement practices to prevent risks such as escapes, damage to infrastructure, and entanglements of protected species like large whales and sea turtles (Section 201(b)).

Potential for Unsafe Operations: The Administrator has the authority to terminate permits or order the removal of facilities if operations are determined to be unsafe or result in unacceptable negative impacts to the marine environment or nearby human communities (Section 202(k)).

Risks from Infrastructure Failure: There is a potential for industry harm related to the loss of or damage to infrastructure due to atmospheric and ocean conditions such as high wind speeds or tsunamis (Section 201(b)).

Impact of Species Escape: The bill identifies the risk of escapes of farmed organisms or fertilized eggs as a factor to be managed to prevent harm to wild populations (Section 201(b) and Section 3. Definition 8).